A Dragonbird in the Fern by Laura Reuckert (Flux Books) - delayed due to COVID-19.
When
an assassin kills Princess Jiara's older sister Scilla, her vengeful
ghost is doomed to walk their city of glittering canals, tormenting
loved ones until the killer is brought to justice. The mourning period
hasn't even reached its end when Scilla's betrothed, the king of a
country far away, requests that seventeen-year-old Jiara take her
sister's place as his bride.Marrying the man meant for her sister would make her feel bad enough, but with a learning disability and years of scholarly struggles, Jiara believes her chances of learning a new language are slim. She's terrified of life in a foreign land, where she'd be unable to communicate. Then Jiara discovers evidence that her sister's assassin came from the king's country. Marrying the king would allow Jiara to hunt the murderer and release her family from Scilla's spirit, whose thirst for blood mounts every day.
With magical bracelets on her forearms and a dagger strapped to her calf (neither of which she knows how to use), she makes her way to the lush, fern-covered country of her sister's assassin. But Jiara hasn't even reached her new home when the first attempt is made on her life. To save her family, Jiara must find Scilla's killer...before he murders her too.
Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn (Putnam)
From LA Times Book
Prize Award Winner and Edgar Award Nominee Malla Nunn comes a stunning
portrait of a family divided and the bonds that knit our communities.
When
Amandla wakes up on her fifteenth birthday she knows it's going to be
one of her mother's difficult days. Her mother has had another vision.
If Amandla wears a blue sheet her mother has loosely stitched as a dress
and styles her normally braided hair in a halo around her head,
Amandla's father will come home. Amandla's mother, Annalisa, always
speaks of her father as if he was the prince of a fairytale, but in
truth he's been gone since before Amandla was born and even Annalisa's
memory of him is hazy. In fact many of Annalisa's memories from before
Amandla was born are hazy. It's just one of the many reasons people in
Sugar Town give Annalisa and Amandla strange looks--that and the fact
her mother is white and Amandla is brown.
But when Amandla finds a
mysterious address in the bottom of her mother's handbag along with a
large amount of cash, she decides it's finally time to get answers about
her mother's life. But what she discovers will change the shape and
size of her family forever.
Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin (Disney Hyperion)
"I think it's frickin' genius," he says.
After getting kicked off the basketball team for a fight that was absolutely totally not her fault (okay maybe a little her fault), Mara is dying to find a new sport to play to prove to her coach that she can be a team player. A lifelong football fan, Mara decides to hit the gridiron with her brother, Noah, and best friend, Quinn-and she turns out to be a natural. But joining the team sets off a chain of events in her small Oregon town-and within her family-that she never could have predicted.
Inspired by what they see as Mara's political statement, four other girls join the team. Now Mara's lumped in as one of the girls-one of the girls who can't throw, can't kick, and doesn't know a fullback from a linebacker. Complicating matters is the fact that Valentina, Mara's crush, is one of the new players, as is Carly, Mara's nemesis-the girl Mara fought with when she was kicked off the basketball team. What results is a coming-of-age story that is at once tear-jerking and funny, thought-provoking and real, as Mara's preconceived notions about gender, sports, sexuality, and friendship are turned upside down.
Britta Lundin's sophomore novel will give readers all the feels, and make them stand up and cheer.
The Perfect Place to Die by Bryce Moore (Sourcebooks Fire) - previously titled Murder Castle.
When Zuretta's sister, Ruby, travels to Chicago, and disappears, Zuretta leaves home to find her. She has a little bit of money from her Utah church, an abiding fandom of the legendary Pinkertons, and a deep hope and faith of finding Ruby soon.
After a series of mishaps, she claws her way forward, taking a job in the very place her sister Ruby last worked—a hotel owned by notorious serial killer Dr. H. H. Holmes.
But Zuretta's efforts to find out what happened to her sister don't go unnoticed, and before long, she finds herself up against one of the most infamous mass murderers in American history—and his custom-built death trap.
The Great Destroyers by Caroline Tung Richmond (Scholastic)
The Hunger Games meets Pacific Rim, set in the 1960s Cold War.
Jo
Linden grew up in a world where wars are won with the use of giant
mechanical soldiers and the nuclear bomb was never invented. Yet the
Cold War still rages. Only now international rivalries between democracy
and communism play out at the Pax Games, an Olympic-style competition
that pits young pilots of mecha soldiers against each other. The USSR's
beaten the US in every game since its inception, and in the 1963 games,
the US is desperate for a win. Because it's more than just the Games at
stake here. Premier Khrushchev will be attending, and after he and
President Kennedy are slated to sign a peace accord stabilizing the war
in Vietnam-and their relationship.
Raised in her father's mecha
repair shop, Jo knows more than anyone about the awesome machines and
piloting. She's also the most unlikely pick for Team USA since she's a
virtually unknown fighter. So when Jo is invited at the last minute to
compete, she jumps at it. This could be the last chance to save her
family's home from debt collectors. When Jo arrives in DC for the Games,
all eyes on her. But she's got secrets of her own. Secrets that could
get her kicked out the Games-and cost her family everything-if anyone
found out. As competitors start dying in the arena, it's suddenly clear
that it's more than the usual Pax Games, and Jo finds herself drawn into
a deadly political plot with the very stake of freedom at its center.
In
a global chess match between superpowers, playing out in violent games
that only humanity could create, comes a terrifying story of clashing
titans, deadly competition, patriotism, and the girl caught in the
middle of it all.
Stephanie Perkins
returns with another blood-chilling contemporary horror novel, the
perfect companion to her New York Times bestseller There’s Someone
Inside Your House, soon to be a Netflix feature.
A traditional
backwoods horror story set–first page to last–in the woods of the Pisgah
National Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Two girls go backpacking in the woods. Things go very wrong.
And, then, their paths collide with a serial killer.
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gold (Wednesday Books)
The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won't stay hidden any longer.
Something
is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning
up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to
TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan
Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to
Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to
get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they
originally let on.
Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen
to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the
Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only
person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan
team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their
investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and
themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger
intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other
could be a light in the darkness.
Courtney Gould’s thrilling debut The Dead and the Dark
is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that
can’t remain hidden, and about finding home in places—and people—you
didn’t expect.
Piper Sullivan never should have been at Suicide Point the day she fell. Her older sister, Savannah, knows this with all her heart—just as she knows that Piper’s “accident” was entirely her fault. Savannah did something awful, something she can barely stand to think about, and now Piper is in a coma.
But just as Savannah’s guilt threatens to swallow her whole, she finds something strange in Piper’s locker: a note inviting Piper to a meeting of their school’s wilderness club…at the very place and on the very day she fell. Which means that there’s a chance Piper wasn’t alone.
Maybe it isn’t Savannah’s fault, after all. Someone in the club might know what really happened. Someone might have done something. But why? If Savannah wants to find out the truth about that tragic day, she’ll have to join the club on their weekend long camping trip…on the very same mountain where her sister fell. And with everyone in the club a suspect, she’ll need to be careful or she might follow her sister into the dark.
Mercury Boys by Chandra Prasad (Soho Teen)
After her life is upended by divorce and a cross-country move, 16-year-old Saskia Brown feels like an outsider at her new school—not only is she a transplant, she’s biracial in a population of mostly white students. One day while visiting her only friend at her part-time library job, Saskia encounters a vial of liquid mercury, then touches an old daguerreotype—the precursor of the modern-day photograph—and makes a startling discovery. She is somehow able to visit the man in the portrait: Robert Cornelius, a brilliant young inventor from the nineteenth century. The hitch: she can see him only in her dreams.
Saskia shares her revelation with some classmates, hoping to find connection and friendship among strangers. Under her guidance, the other girls steal portraits of young men from a local college's daguerreotype collection and try the dangerous experiment for themselves. Soon, they each form a bond with their own "Mercury Boy," from an injured Union soldier to a charming pickpocket in New York City.
At night, the girls visit the boys in their dreams. During the day, they hold clandestine meetings of their new secret society. At first, the Mercury Boys Club is a thrilling diversion from their troubled everyday lives, but it's not long before jealousy, violence, and secrets threaten everything the girls hold dear.
Dangerous Play by Emma Kress (Roaring Brook Press)
Propulsive, electrifying, and high-stakes...
Zoe
Alamandar has one goal: win the State Field Hockey Championships and
earn a scholarship that will get her the hell out of Central New York.
She and her co-captain Ava Cervantes have assembled a fierce team of
dedicated girls who will work hard and play by the rules.
But
after Zoe is sexually assaulted at a party, she finds a new goal: make
sure no girl feels unsafe again. Zoe and her teammates decide to stop
playing by the rules and take justice into their own hands. Soon, their
suburban town has a team of superheroes meting out punishments, but one
night of vigilantism may cost Zoe her team, the championship, her
scholarship, and her future.
Perfect for fans who loved the female friendships of Jennifer Mathieu’s Moxie and the bite of Courtney Summer’s Sadie.
Sabriel: 25th Anniversary Classic Edition by Garth Nix (Katherine Tegan Books)
Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the random power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who refuse to stay dead. But now her father, the Charter-Mage Abhorsen, is missing, and to find him Sabriel must cross back into that world. With Mogget, whose feline form hides a powerful, perhaps malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage, Sabriel travels deep into the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life--and comes face-to-face with her own hidden destiny.
Suns Will Rise by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell (Simon Pulse)
AN HEIR. A RENEGADE
A CONVICT. A CYBORG
A DÉFECTEUR
FIVE REBELS. ONE REVOLUTION.
It’s
been three months since the Patriarche was beheaded, leaving behind no
heir. From the outside, Laterre seems to be flourishing. General
Bonnefaçon has cleaned up the streets, fed the hungry, and restored
peace while the next leader is decided upon. But dangerous rifts
threaten to shatter the planet from within.
The Red Scar is
killing anyone with a legitimate claim to the Regime, while the Vangarde
and their freed leader are preparing to overthrow it.
Then, it’s revealed that the Patriarche had a child in secret. A missing heir…
Alouette
is the general’s prisoner, interrogated on the whereabouts of his
renegade grandson. Marcellus is desperately searching for her, knowing
she’s the key to the Vangarde’s plan, but unaware that he’s being hunted
by a determined new cyborg. Meanwhile Chatine grows restless, living
with a rebel group she doesn’t fit into. Until an old friend solicits
her help to save his Défecteur community from a mysterious, new threat. A
threat that will tie them all together.
When the general makes
an explosive play for power, allegiances will shift, rebels will become
leaders, barricades will rise, and the tinderbox of Laterre will finally
ignite, launching a revolution five hundred years in the making.
The Wild Ones: A Broken Anthem for a Girl Nation by Nafiza Azad (McElderry Books)
From William C.
Morris Finalist Nafiza Azad comes a thrilling, feminist fantasy about a
group of teenage girls endowed with special powers who must band
together to save the life of the boy whose magic saved them all.
Meet
the Wild Ones: girls who have been hurt, abandoned, and betrayed all
their lives. It all began with Paheli, who was once betrayed by her
mother and sold to a man in exchange for a favor. When Paheli escapes,
she runs headlong into a boy with stars in his eyes. This boy, as
battered as she is, tosses Paheli a box of stars before disappearing.
With
the stars, Paheli gains access to the Between, a place of pure magic
and mystery. Now, Paheli collects girls like herself and these Wild Ones
use their magic to travel the world, helping the hopeless and saving
others from the fates they suffered.
Then Paheli and the Wild
Ones learn that the boy who gave them the stars, Taraana, is in danger.
He’s on the run from powerful forces within the world of magic. But if
Taraana is no longer safe and free, neither are the Wild Ones. And
that…is a fate the Wild Ones refuse to accept. Ever again.
Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martins (Underlined)
Fake boyfriend. Real heartbreak?
Natalie is living her dream: topping the charts and setting records as a Brazilian pop star…until she’s dumped spectacularly on live television. Not only is it humiliating—it could end her career.
Her PR team’s desperate plan? A gorgeous yet oh-so-fake boyfriend. Nati reluctantly agrees, but William is not what she expected. She was hoping for a fierce bad boy—not a soft-hearted British indie film star. While she fights her way back to the top with a sweet and surprisingly swoon-worthy boy on her arm, she starts to fall for William—and realizes that maybe she’s the biggest fake of them all. Can she reclaim her voice and her heart?
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee (Delacorte)
Perched in the Catskill mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she’s returned to graduate. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students—girls some say were witches. The Dalloway Five all died mysteriously, one after another, right on Godwin grounds.
Witchcraft
is woven into Dalloway’s history. The school doesn’t talk about it, but
the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene.
And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She’s
determined to leave that behind her now; all Felicity wants is to focus
on her senior thesis and graduate. But it’s hard when Dalloway’s occult
history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let
her forget.
It’s
Ellis Haley’s first year at Dalloway, and she’s already amassed a loyal
following. A prodigy novelist at seventeen, Ellis is a so-called
“method writer.” She’s eccentric and brilliant, and Felicity can’t shake
the pull she feels to her. So when Ellis asks Felicity for help
researching the Dalloway Five for her second book, Felicity can’t say
no. Given her history with the arcane, Felicity is the perfect resource.
And when history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway–and in herself.
Fresh by Margot Woods (Abrams)
Some students enter their freshman year of college knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives. Elliot McHugh is not one of those people. But picking a major is the last thing on Elliot’s mind when she’s too busy experiencing all that college has to offer—from dancing all night at off-campus parties, to testing her RA Rose’s patience, to making new friends, to having the best sex one can have on a twin-sized dorm room bed. But she may not be ready for the fallout when reality hits. When the sex she’s having isn’t that great. When finals creep up and smack her right in the face. Or when her roommate’s boyfriend turns out to be the biggest a-hole. Elliot may make epic mistakes, but if she’s honest with herself (and with you, dear reader), she may just find the person she wants to be. And maybe even fall in love in the process... Well, maybe.
Brown Boy Nowhere by Sheeryl Lim (Skyscape)
What’s the problem? Sixteen-year-old Filipino American Angelo Rivera will tell you flat out. Life sucks. He’s been uprooted from his San Diego home to a boring landlocked town in the middle of nowhere. Behind him, ocean waves, his girlfriend, and the biggest skateboarding competition on the California coast. Ahead, flipping burgers at his parents’ new diner and, as the only Asian in his all-white school, being trolled as “brown boy” by small-minded, thick-necked jocks.
Resigned to being an outcast, Angelo isn’t alone. Kirsten, a crushable ex-cheerleader and graffiti artist, and Larry, a self-proclaimed invisible band geek, recognize a fellow outsider. Soon enough, Angelo finds himself the leader of their group of misfits. They may be low on the high school food chain, but they’re determined to hold their own.
Between shifts at the diner, dodging bullies, and wishing for home, Angelo discovers this might not be nowhere after all. Sharing it can turn it into somewhere in a heartbeat.
August 5th
Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg (Wise Wolf)
The year is 1995 and my parents have finally allowed me to take the summer to tour in a VW van across the country with my boyfriend Evan and our band. Yes, my dream to be a singer became reality. Even with Clarissa, Evan's jealous ex-girlfriend, as the lead singer, it's my presence on stage that led us to a major record deal. There are moments you'll always remember in life, but I can't imagine anything more cool than hearing your song on the radio for the first time.
But being a Rockstar isn't as easy as it sounds. Using alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms, nothing but tension surrounded me, hurting my still blossoming relationship, and continued grieving over my sister's death.
A love letter to the nineties and a journey of a girl becoming a woman, Grenade Bouquets charts the rollercoaster ride of a band primed to explode on the scene, as long as they keep from actually exploding.
The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalina (Page Street Kids) - previously titled Ink.
Tess Matheson only wants
three things: time to practice her cello, for her sister to be happy,
and for everyone else to leave her alone.Instead, Tess finds herself working all summer at her boarding school library, shelving books and dealing with the intolerable patrons. The worst of them is Eliot Birch: snide, privileged, and constantly requesting forbidden grimoires. After a bargain with Eliot leads to the discovery of an ancient book in the library's grimoire collection, the pair accidentally unleash a book-bound demon.
The demon will stop at nothing to stay free, manipulating ink to threaten those Tess loves and dismantling Eliot’s strange magic. Tess is plagued by terrible dreams of the devil and haunting memories of a boy who wears Eliot's face. All she knows is to stay free, the demon needs her... and he'll have her, dead or alive.
The Good Luck Girls are free. Aster's sister and friends have new lives across the border in Ferron, while Aster remains in Arketta, helping more girls escape. But news of a new welcome house opening fills Aster with a need to do more than just help individual girls. And an unexpected reunion gives her an idea of how to do it. From there, grows a wildly ambitious plan to free all dustbloods, who live as prisoners to Arketta's landmasters and debt slavery.
When Clementine and the others return from Ferron, they become the heart of a vibrant group of fearless fighters, working to unite the various underclasses and convince them to join in the fight. Along the way, friendships will be forged, lives will be lost, and love will take root even in the harshest of circumstances, between the most unexpected of lovers.
But will Arketta's dustbloods finally come into power and freedom, or will the resistance just open them up to a new sort of danger?
Magic always leaves its mark.
All her life, Matilda has been told one thing about her magic: You use only when necessary. But Matilda isn't interested in being a good witch. She wants revenge and popularity, and to live her life free of consequences, free of the scars that dark magic leaves on her face as a reminder of her misdeeds.
When a spell goes awry and the new boy at school catches her in the act, Matilda thinks her secret might be out. But far from being afraid, Oliver already knows about her magic - and he wants to learn more. As Oliver and Matilda grow closer, bizarre things begin to happen: Animals show up with their throats slashed and odd markings carved into their bodies, a young girl dies mysteriously, and everyone blames Matilda. But she isn’t responsible — at least, not that she can remember. As her magic begins to spin out of control, Matilda must decide for herself what makes a good witch, and discover the truth...before anyone else turns up dead.
Now without a home and on the run, Aissa has never felt so trapped and alone even with her sister and friend by her side. Zandria—once her other half—has become cold and inflexible after her time in the Technocrat’s dungeon and is bent on revenge Aissa no longer feels. Their friend Remy may still side with his father, a Magi leader who refuses to believe his spy, Darian Azul, has turned traitor. And Aissa herself is now an enemy of her Magi people after falling in love with—and binding her heart to—Aro, a Techno prince who puts all their lives at stake.
Using clues her parents and others left behind, Aissa is determined to uncover the secrets of the Alchemist Alliance that helped create her and Zandria’s unique magical powers … as well as learn whether the Alliance’s research holds the key to healing the rift between the Magi and Technocrats after centuries of war. But with her people preparing for battle, and Darian poised to use the Technocrats’ might for his own ends, it will take more than lost spells and hidden secrets to accomplish her goal. Especially as the dangerous bond between her Aro grows deeper and threatens everything Aissa has ever believed.
When her twin sister reaches social media stardom, Moon Fuentez accepts her fate as the ugly, unwanted sister hidden in the background, destined to be nothing more than her sister’s camerawoman. But this summer, Moon also takes a job as the “merch girl” on a tour bus full of beautiful influencers and her fate begins to shift in the best way possible.
Most notable is her bunkmate and new nemesis, Santiago Phillips, who is grumpy, combative, and also the hottest guy Moon has ever seen.
Moon is certain she hates Santiago and that he hates her back. But as chance and destiny (and maybe, probably, close proximity) bring the two of them in each other’s perpetual paths, Moon starts to wonder if that’s really true. She even starts to question her destiny as the unnoticed, unloved wallflower she always thought she was.
Could this summer change Moon’s life as she knows it?
Under the Milky Way by Vanessa Barneveld (Entangled Teen)
Until high school senior Cassidy Roekiem’s mom checks into a “wellness center,” but nothing is wrong with her.
Then people start seeing lights in the sky and missing chunks of time, but the town insists nothing is going on.
And now Hayden, the new boy at school who keeps to himself and is more than a little mysterious, starts to notice her like it’s nothing out of the ordinary.
Suddenly, “nothing” is starting to feel a whole lot like something. And everything leads back to Hayden. The boy she’s starting to fall for. The boy with too many dark secrets for his kind heart. The boy she’s pretty sure isn’t human…
Two gods are dead. The Mother Goddess has returned. War is rising.
Fleeing war-ravaged Deimos, Ash and Madoc sail across the ocean to their only possible allies: the water and plant gods. But when Anathrasa attacks on the way, Ash leaps to the defense—by using a power she didn’t know she had.
When Madoc made the fire and earth gods mortal, he inadvertently transferred their magic to Ash. Now, if Ash can get energeias from the other four gods, she would be powerful enough to end Anathrasa once and for all.
But not all the gods want the Mother Goddess defeated. To stop her, Madoc will have to become the obedient son his mother always wanted, and Ash will have to take a merciless place among the gods.
To defeat an immortal, Ash and Madoc must fight like gods—even if it means sacrificing their humanity.
August 17th
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao (Bloomsbury) - moved from August 3rd.
In a YA thriler that is Crazy Rich Asians meets One of Us is Lying,
students at an elite prep school are forced to confront their secrets
when their ex-best friend turms up deadand they're the prime suspects in
her murder.
When Nancy Luo's former best friend Jamie Ruan, the
top ranked junior at Sinclair Prep, goes missing. Nancy is shocked.
She's even more shocked when Jamie is found dead.
The police
suspect murder, and Nancy and her three friends become the prime
suspects-fhanks to The Proctor, someone set on publicdy incriminating
them via the school's social media app. The quartet used to be Jamie's
dosest friends - and she knew dangerous secrets about each of them that
could ruin their reputations as the other top- ranking students. For
Nancy, the stakes are even higher, because unlike her wealthy friends,
she could lose her full ride scholarship, too.
As the group
struggles to dear their names while maintaining their perfect GPAS, they
race to uncover Jamie's true killer-before the Proctor exposes al of
their darkest secrets. But Nancy can't help but suspect that one of her
friends is lying. Or is there a missing piece in her own memory that
could expose the truth-not justabout Jamie's fate, but also about
herself?
Dagger Hill by Devon Taylor (Swoon Reads)
Stranger Things meets One of Us Is Lying
in this creepy paranormal mystery about four friends who find
themselves hunted by a malevolent presence in their sleepy hometown.
It knows your fear...
Summer, 1989. Four
best friends—Gabe, Kimberly, Charlie, and Sonya—are preparing for their
last summer together before senior year, after which they’ll all be
splitting up to start college in different parts of the country. They
make a promise to always find their way back to each other, no matter
how far away from their sleepy Pennsylvania hometown they get.
But their plans are destroyed when a plane crashes right on top of their favorite hangout outside of town—and right on top of them.
In
the catastrophic aftermath of the incident, Gabe, Sonya and Charlie are
plagued by eerie visions and messages from an unknown watcher. They
soon realize that the plane crash was no accident, and now they are
being hunted by a sinister presence. And everyone is still searching for
Kimberly, who has been missing ever since Gabe saw somebody wearing a
gas mask carry her out of the woods the day the sky fell down on them...
Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko (Amulet)
For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar's throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities.
Tarisai is determined to survive. Or at least, that's what she tells her increasingly distant circle of friends. Months into her shaky reign as empress, child spirits haunt her, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire.
With the lives of her loved ones on the line, assassination attempts from unknown quarters, and a handsome new stranger she can't quite trust . . . Tarisai fears the pressure may consume her. But in this finale to the Raybearer duology, Tarisai must learn whether to die for justice . . . or to live for it.
Rainbow in the Dark by Sean McGinty (Clarion Books) - YA Graphic novel.
High school senior Rainbow is trapped with three other teens in a game-like world that may or may not be real. Together, they must complete quests and gain experience in order to access their own forgotten memories, decode what has happened to them, and find a portal home.
As Rainbow’s memories slowly return, the story of a lonely teen facing senior year as the new kid in a small town emerges. Surreal, absurdist humor balances sensitively handled themes of suicide, depression, and the search for identity in an unpredictable and ultimately hopeful page-turner that's perfect for fans of Shaun David Hutchinson, Adam Silvera, and Libba Bray's Going Bovine.
Living Beyond Borders: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in America by Various Authors (Philmonel)
In this mixed-media collection of short stories, personal essays, poetry, and comics, this celebrated group of authors share the borders they have crossed, the struggles they have pushed through, and the two cultures they continue to navigate as Mexican American. Living Beyond Borders is at once an eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and hopeful love letter from the Mexican American community to today’s young readers.
Ashfall Legacy by Pittacus Lore (HarperCollins)
Pittacus Lore finished
telling the story of the Lorien Nine. Now, he’s back to recount an
all-new adventure rooted in the real mysteries surrounding Roswell, New
Mexico, that will enthrall fans of Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman, and
Brandon Sanderson.
We have waited generations for you…
Syd
Chambers knows that there’s life on other planets because he’s
descended from it. His father was from a distant world called Denza, and
has been missing—presumed dead—for years.
When Syd discovers a
device his father left behind that shows not only that he’s alive, but
where he is, Syd must set out on a mission of his own. But along the
way, he discovers a deadly, unbearable secret that could destroy Denza,
Earth, and the universe.
Me (Moth) by Amber McBride (Fiewel and Friends)
Moth has lost her family in an accident. Though she lives with her aunt, she feels alone and uprooted.
Until she meets Sani, a boy who is also searching for his roots. If he knows more about where he comes from, maybe he’ll be able to understand his ongoing depression. And if Moth can help him feel grounded, then perhaps she too will discover the history she carries in her bones.
Moth and Sani take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors. The way each moves forward is surprising, powerful, and unforgettable.
Here is an exquisite and uplifting novel about identity, first love, and the ways that our memories and our roots steer us through the universe.
The Endless Skies by Shannon Price (Tor Teen)
Shannon Price's The Endless Skies is a breakout standalone epic fantasy about shapeshifting warriors perfect for fans of Adrienne Young and Wonder Woman. Sixteen-year-old Rowan is about to become one of the famed Leonodai Warriors—the elite magical fighters who protect the floating city Heliana from the world of Men. Until disaster strikes the city’s children.
Against orders from the king, Rowan sets out on her own and tracks down one of the Warrior teams—only to find herself face to face with both the man she loves and the one who holds the dark secrets of their past. With time running out and Men on their tail, Rowan must risk everything to save her beloved city.
In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner (Crown)
Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He’s been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen.
But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he would have to leave behind.
Cazadora by Romina Russell and Romina Garber (Wednesday Books)
In Cazadora, the follow-up to Lobizona,
Romina Garber continues to weave Argentine folklore and real-world
issues into a haunting, fantastical, and romantic story that will
reunite readers with Manu and her friends as they continue to fight for a
better future.
When 17-year-old Jo Bryant lost her father three years ago, he began appearing to her in dreams, beckoning her to the grave of Eleanor Rigby. This isn’t the weird part, since he was the lead singer of an internationally acclaimed Beatles cover band. What’s weird is that she’s almost certain he isn’t really dead. Jo has long wondered about her father’s past and his mysterious death in a London hotel, but she can’t shake the feeling that something’s being kept from her. So when her mother offers to do a “kid swap” with a London friend, Jo leaps at the opportunity to go overseas for the summer, under the pretext of scoping out colleges.
Once in London, Jo meets Henry, a broody, Beatles-hating photographer who understands what it’s like to lose a parent. He gets on her last nerve, but he’s into an intriguing mix of quantum physics and pseudoscience. Soon, Jo realizes that Henry might have the key to finding her father. Armed with an atlas of Britain’s supernatural ley lines and a tenuous friendship, Jo and Henry set out to follow a breadcrumb trail to the grave, which just so happens to sit on one of the most powerful ley lines in Liverpool. But Henry’s family has dark secrets of their own, and the truths they must unravel could destroy who they thought their parents were, and what they’ve grown to mean to each other.
The Hoodie Grl by Yuen Wright (Wattpad Books)
It covers my body in a way that makes me feel comfortable.
Safe. Invisible.
Wren Martin isn’t what you would call a popular girl. She is remarkably average, gets good grades, and aspires to get a scholarship to her dream college and leave her hometown, as it’s filled with impossible memories.
Asher Reed―star athlete and heartthrob of Eastview High―is everything wrong with high school in one frustratingly good-looking body. But when an on-field accident leaves him sidelined for the season, he takes an interest in Wren.
With an undeniable connection, Wren and Asher form a friendship that quickly turns into something more. Yuen Wright’s heartwarming debut is a reminder that when someone really sees you, the last thing you want is to be invisible.
Cheer Up: Love and Pompons by Crystal Fraiser and Val Wise (Oni Press) - YA graphic novel.
Annie is a smart, antisocial lesbian starting her senior year of high school who’s under pressure to join the cheerleader squad to make friends and round out her college applications. Her former friend BeeBee is a people-pleaser—a trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life to keep their support of her transition. Through the rigors of squad training and amped up social pressures (not to mention micro aggressions and other queer youth problems), the two girls rekindle a friendship they thought they’d lost and discover there may be other, sweeter feelings springing up between them.
August 24th
Vampires, Hearts and Other Dead Things by Margie Fuston (Simon Pulse)
Victoria and her dad have shared a love of the undead since the first vampire revealed his existence on live TV. Public fear soon drove the vampires back into hiding, yet Victoria and her father still dream about finding a vampire together. But when her dad is diagnosed with terminal cancer, it’s clear that’s not going to happen. Instead, Victoria vows to find a vampire herself—so that she can become one and then save her father.
Armed with research, speculations, and desperation—and helped by her estranged best friend, Henry—Victoria travels to New Orleans in search of a miracle. There she meets Nicholas, a mysterious young man who might give her what she desires. But first, he needs Victoria to prove she loves life enough to live forever.
She agrees to complete a series of challenges, from scarfing sugar-drenched beignets to singing with a jazz band, all to show she has what it takes to be immortal. But truly living while her father is dying feels like a betrayal. Victoria must figure out how to experience joy and grief at once, trusting all the while that Nicholas will hold up his end of the bargain…because the alternative is too impossible to imagine.
The Eyes of the Forest by April Henry (Macmillan/Ottaviano)
Bridget is RM Haldon's biggest fan. His epic fantasy series, Swords and Shadows, created a lifeline between Bridget and her mom as she lost her battle with cancer. When Bridget met Haldon at his only book signing, she impressed the author with her encyclopedic knowledge of the fantasy world he'd created. Bridget has been working for him ever since as he attempts to write his final book. Now, Haldon is missing, and Bridget is the only person who seems concerned. Can Bridget piece together Haldon’s clues and save him before it’s too late?
Master mystery-writer April Henry weaves another heart-stopping young adult thriller in this story that seamlessly blends suspense with fan culture. For readers of Courtney Summers and Karen McManus.
Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis (Delacorte)
Katrell doesn’t mind talking to the dead; she just wishes it made more money. Clients pay her to talk to their deceased loved ones, but it isn’t enough to support her unemployed mother and Mom’s deadbeat boyfriend-of-the-week. Things get worse, when a ghost warns her to stop the summonings or she’ll “burn everything down.” Katrell is willing to call them on their bluff, though. She has no choice. What do ghosts know about eating peanut butter for dinner?
However, when her next summoning accidentally raises someone from the dead, Katrell realizes that a live body is worth a lot more than a dead apparition. And, warning or not, she has no intention of letting this lucrative new business go.
But magic doesn’t come for free, and soon dark forces are closing in on Katrell. The further she goes, the more she risks the lives of not only herself, but those she loves. Katrell faces a choice: resign herself to poverty, or confront the darkness before it’s too late.
Edie In Between by Laura Sibson (Viking)
It’s been one year since Edie’s mother died. But her ghost has never left.
According to her GG, it’s tradition that the dead of the Mitchell family linger with the living. It’s just as much a part of a Mitchell’s life as brewing cordials or talking to plants. But Edie, whose pain over losing her mother is still fresh, has no interest in her family’s legacy as local “witches.”
When her mother’s teenage journal tumbles into her life, her family’s mystical inheritance becomes once and for all too hard to ignore. It takes Edie on a scavenger hunt to find objects that once belonged to her mother, each one imbued with a different memory. Every time she touches one of these talismans, it whisks her to another entry inside the journal—where she watches her teenage mom mourn, love, and hope just as Edie herself is now doing. Maybe, just maybe, Edie hopes, if she finds every one of these objects, she can finally make peace with her loss and put the past to rest for good. But this journey to stake her independence from her family may actually show Edie who she truly is…and the beautiful gifts that come with being just a little different.
Tinged with a sweet romance with Rhia, who works at the local occult shop, Edie in Between delivers all the cozy magic a budding young witch finding her way in the world needs.
Beyond the Mapped Stars by Rosalyn Eves (Knopf)
A sweeping
adventure, set in the late 19th century, about science, love, and
finding your place in the world, perfect for fans of Ruta Sepetys and
Julie Berry.
Seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Bertelsen dreams of
becoming an astronomer, but she knows such dreams are as unreachable as
the stars she so deeply adores. As a Mormon girl, her duty is to her
family and, in a not too far away future, to the man who’ll choose to
marry her.
When she unexpectedly finds herself in Colorado, she’s
tempted by the total eclipse of the sun that’s about to happen—and
maybe even meeting up with the female scientists she’s long admired.
Elizabeth must learn to navigate this new world of possibility: with her
familial duties and faith tugging at her heartstrings, a new romance on
the horizon, and the study of the night sky calling to her, she can’t
possibly have it all…can she?
Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas (Dial) - originally dated September 2021.
There are just two things keeping Finch Kelly from a full-blown case of high-school senioritis: a) the agony of waiting to learn whether he's gotten off the deferral list to Georgetown, the school of his nerdy political dreams; and b) the prospect of taking home the gold at Nationals, the culmination of his four-year unbroken debate team winning streak. With his own unmatched expertise, and with the charming, silver-tongued Jonah Cabrera as his partner and #1 fan, Finch is nearly invincible -- until a devastating second-place finish at the State Championship sends him reeling into self-doubt.
Nationals are Finch's chance at redemption, and his last, best shot at showing Georgetown that he belongs there. But no amount of debate prep can shake Finch of his deeply held fears: that his wrinkled Gap Kids suit will never measure up to his prep-school competitors' starched uniforms and that he'll never have a love as picture-perfect as the one Jonah has with his movie-star-handsome boyfriend. But as Finch knows better than anyone else, there's always more than one side to every argument.
The Girl With the Hickory Heart by Laura Nicolle Taylor (Owl Hollow) - moved from June 2021, author confirms this but not yet updated on Goodreads.
Lye, the girl with all the power, can’t forget.
For Luna, the price of peace in a time of war is a heart of hickory. But to have a hickory heart leaves no room for love. When the lives of her three brothers are tied to refugee siblings from the warring tribe, Luna must test the limits of her wooden heart to trust those she’s been taught to hate.
Seventeen-year-old Lye is the Shen keeper. There’s only one. Ripped from her village as a child to perform the sacred task of awakening elements in every Shen soldier, she’s become an unwilling instrument of violence and death. And it’s starting to dismantle her conscience.
In an island nation akin to a wooden Hong Kong, two Asian girls from warring tribes must put aside their pasts in order to move forward.
Witch for Hire by Ned Naifeh (Amulet) - YA graphic novel.
Faye Faulker isn’t popular, and that’s just fine by her. She spends her lunches at the Loser Table with the other social rejects, aka her best friends, and brushes off the uninspired taunts from the cool kids. But when lonely freshman Cody finds her way to Faye’s corner of the cafeteria, it sets off a peculiar chain of events . . . To Cody’s surprise, these kids aren’t so bad; an overdramatic theater nerd, a handicapable girl in a wheelchair, an overweight boy, and Faye, who comes to school every day dressed like a witch. But it’s no costume, Fay really is a witch!
While high school can be hell for many reasons, this year the ante has been raised when a series of pranks swiftly go from mischievous to downright dangerous. From the lowliest debate team nerds to the prom queen, no one is safe, not even the teachers! When things start to really get out of hand, Cody owns up to Faye: in a moment of desperation, she signed up for an online challenge that promises to grant popularity to those who follow the website’s twisted demands.
Now Faye is faced with a choice: Reveal her witchy nature to Cody and help her or stand aside and keep her secret identity safe. Despite her misgivings, Faye takes on the case, but will her powers be strong enough to solve this mystery? And will people ever stop asking her if she puts newts’ eyes in her homemade baked goods? Witch for Hire is a gothic whodunnit about resilience, magic, and the power of friendship.
But when someone close to her is brutally murdered and Annie is the primary suspect, she starts to wonder if the legends surrounding the town are more fact than fiction.
Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there's a killer on the loose, and they have a vendetta against the Thorns...
August 29th
House of Glass Hearts by Leila Siddiqui (Yali Books) - previously titled The Darkened Lands of the Earth.
Seamlessly blending history with myth, HOUSE OF GLASS HEARTS follows a Pakistani-American teen’s ruthless quest to find her missing sibling, even if the truth would reveal her grandfather’s devastating secret and tear her family apart. In a narrative that switches between colonial India and present-day America, this ambitious debut explores how the horrors of the past continue to shape the lives of South Asians around the world.
August 31st
Forestborn by Elayne Audrey Becker (Tor Teen)
TO BE BORN OF THE FOREST IS A GIFT AND A CURSE.
Rora
is a shifter, as magical as all those born in the wilderness--and as
feared. She uses her abilities to spy for the king, traveling under
different guises and listening for signs of trouble.
When a
magical illness surfaces across the kingdom, Rora uncovers a devastating
truth: Finley, the young prince and her best friend, has caught it,
too. His only hope is stardust, the rarest of magical elements, found
deep in the wilderness where Rora grew up--and to which she swore never
to return.
But for her only friend, Rora will face her past and
brave the dark, magical wood, journeying with her brother and the
obstinate, older prince who insists on coming. Together, they must
survive sentient forests and creatures unknown, battling an
ever-changing landscape while escaping human pursuers who want them
dead. With illness gripping the kingdom and war on the horizon, Finley's
is not the only life that hangs in the balance.
Take Me With You When You Go by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven (Knopf)
Subject: You. Missing.
Ezra Ahern wakes up one day to find his older sister, Bea, gone. No note, no sign, nothing but an email address hidden somewhere only he would find it. Ezra never expected to be left behind with their abusive stepfather and their neglectful mother—how is he supposed to navigate life without Bea?
Bea Ahern already knew she needed to get as far away from home as possible But a message in her inbox changes everything, and she finds herself alone in a new city—without Ez, without a real plan—chasing someone who might not even want to be found.
As things unravel at home for Ezra, Bea will confront secrets about their past that will forever change the way they think about their family. Together and apart, broken by abuse but connected by love, this brother and sister must learn to trust themselves before they can find a way back to each other.
The Last Words We Said by Leah Scheier (Simon Pulse)
Because she still sees him.
Moving back and forth between past and present, the story of Ellie and Danny unspools, from their serendipitous meeting to Danny and Ellie falling for each other. In the past, they were the perfect couple—until it all went wrong. In the present, Ellie’s looking for answers. Her friends are worried about her mental health, but Ellie’s certain that the tragedy that’s rocked their modern Orthodox community isn’t as simple as they all believe. She’s determined to uncover the truth about what happened to the love of her life. But to do that, she’ll have to be more honest with herself.
Tobyn: The It Girl by Ashley Woodfolk (Penguin Platform) - Novella, lower YA.
Meet the Flyy Girls. The
group of girls who seem like they can get away with anything. Veteran
author Ashley Woodfolk pens a gorgeous and dynamic series of four Harlem
high-schoolers, each facing a crossroads of friendship, family, and
love.
Tobyn Wolfe knows she’s destined to be a
rock star. She sings, she dances, and she’s got that “It” factor. Her
dreams are even closer within her reach when she meets Maybe Someday–an
incredible all-female band–during a night out with her older sister,
Devyn. Joining their band would be the perfect way to show off her
amazing vocals. It’s too bad her mom can’t see this. She wants Tobyn to
go to college and become a serious musician, not follow in Devyn’s
footsteps and wind up a struggling artist. Can Tobyn prove to her mom
that she knows what’s best, or will her dreams end up becoming a
horrible nightmare?
With simply stated text and compelling characters, Flyy Girls is a series that’s perfect for readers of any level.
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith (Simon and Schuster)
In 1911 New York City, seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress, mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior. Everything changes when she’s attacked and a man ends up dead at her feet—her scissors in his neck, and she can’t explain how they got there.
Before she can be condemned as a murderess, two cape-wearing nurses arrive to inform her she is deathly ill and ordered to report to Haxahaven Sanitarium. But Frances finds Haxahaven isn’t a sanitarium at all: it’s a school for witches. Within Haxahaven’s glittering walls, Frances finds the sisterhood she craves, but the headmistress warns Frances that magic is dangerous. Frances has no interest in the small, safe magic of her school, and is instead enchanted by Finn, a boy with magic himself who appears in her dreams and tells her he can teach her all she’s been craving to learn, lessons that may bring her closer to discovering what truly happened to her brother.
Frances’s newfound power attracts the attention of the leader of an ancient order who yearns for magical control of Manhattan. And who will stop at nothing to have Frances by his side. Frances must ultimately choose what matters more, justice for her murdered brother and her growing feelings for Finn, or the safety of her city and fellow witches. What price would she pay for power, and what if the truth is more terrible than she ever imagined.
Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer (Wednesday Books)
The Earl's note is suspiciously vague and the death certificate is even more dubious, signed it seems by a John H. Watson, M.D. (who denies any knowledge of such). The only way forward is for Enola to go undercover--or so Enola decides at the vehement objection of her brother. And she soon finds out that this is not the first of the Earl's wives to die suddenly and vaguely--and that the secret to the fate of the missing Felicity is tied to a mysterious black barouche that arrived at the Earl's home in the middle of the night. To uncover the secrets held tightly within the Earl's hall, Enola is going to require help--from Sherlock, from the twin sister of the missing woman, and from an old friend, the young Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether!
Looks like a Snake Falls to Earth is now 10/12/2021
ReplyDeleteWhen Night Breaks is now 10/05/2021
DeleteA Psalm of Storms and Silence is now 11/02/2021
DeleteGreat list of books!
ReplyDelete